Under Pressure
by akanii
Summary: First comes love, then comes heartbreak. They'd tried and they'd failed terribly. The relatonship between Sasuke and Naruto ended only months after they'd moved in together. Sasuke finds solace in a bar and meets a nice, young bartender. Meanwhile, Naruto tries to figure out what went wrong and if things can be fixed. (AU, Rated M for later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Here goes the wip to take my mind off Fallhoehe for a while. I guess I just wanted to write a different setting and I needed a whole different Sasuke for a change. If you're someone to get really mad when Sasuke gets touchy with other people than Naruto, you better not read on.

Enjoy reading :)

* * *

It was a cold December day when Naruto left Sasuke's life. They'd had a fight, a rather bad one at that but never had Sasuke expected Naruto to really leave, although he'd threatened to do so more than once. Their fights were intense, sometimes violent but so was their relationship. They were just both really hot blooded. If they got into an argument, none of them was willing to go back on his point, even if they were wrong. Sasuke knew it wasn't right. When things got physical, borders were crossed, boundaries overstepped. You don't lay hands on the one you love, no matter what he's done to you. Yet, they'd both done that. They were way too violent with each other for this to still be considered a normal relationship.  
He was sorry. He really was, but what good did it do?

There's no going back to how things were once you've crossed that line. They'd obviously lost respect towards each other. He'd felt it for a long time now, but it probably was time to leave already.

For now, Naruto had gone out to catch some fresh air, but this had been Naruto's place before Sasuke moved in with him. It was at him to move out.

Crestfallen, he began packing his stuff. He couldn't even cry about it. This was way too painful for it to be cured by some tears. He and Naruto were done for, their relationship was over. To a point, it felt as if his whole life was over. There was so much they had planned together, but all of that wasn't worth shit now. They wouldn't travel together anymore, they wouldn't spend Christmas together. There was no "them" anymore and it hurt him immensely.

He only packed what he deemed necessary in his hurt mind that wasn't able to really focus on what was necessary at all. Nothing really was anymore since he and Naruto had broken apart. Things weren't meant to go that way. It made him wonder when they'd become so dysfunctional. He hadn't even noticed and suddenly things had gone downhill way too quickly until they'd hit rock bottom.

His bag wasn't even that full, yet it felt incredibly heavy when he pulled the door shut behind him.

Where was he even headed? Hell, he didn't know. He didn't even know who to call. Not because he didn't have friends but because he didn't want anyone to know that they'd failed, that he'd failed. The perfect Uchiha wasn't supposed to fail at anything, he'd always exceeded at everything he did. He just wished the same thing could be said about his social skills.

Lost in his own thoughts, he threw the bag into the passenger seat of his car and drove off. He had no destination but that didn't matter. His first objective was to get away from the scene of their fight. He couldn't stand being close to what he'd called home for the past few months anymore. Fuck, it had only been months. The realization hit him hard. They hadn't even managed to make things work for a single year. The intensity of his failure was much bigger than he'd first thought. But he'd done his best. Why wasn't his best good enough? Why was it never good enough?

No matter how good he'd been at something, his older brother had always been better. He'd been an outstanding student, but Itachi had always been better. Damn him! And he was one heart of a brother as well. It was impossible to hate him because he was just such a lovely person in general, it made Sasuke even more angry.

He most definitely wouldn't call Itachi.

He drove around town aimlessly for almost an hour before he pulled into the parking lot next to the club he and his friends had used to frequent when he hadn't been with Naruto. He was desperate, he felt lonely, it probably wasn't a good idea to go in there now. Still he did. He slammed the door of his car shut behind him and locked it. On the walk to the entrance he considered turning around but there was nowhere else to be right now anyway. He figured he might as well just have a nice evening. He decided to settle at the bar for a while. The dance floor wasn't really for him, although he knew of reliable sources that he could move like a young god. But he knew admiration. He'd always been a handsome guy, many young women would have given a lot just for one night with him, but he'd never swung that way. Girls just didn't excite him the way Naruto could. He wasn't supposed to think about that stupid blond now but he was imprinted on his mind.

He ordered a whiskey, figuring he might as well drink if he didn't have anywhere to go. He didn't have to drive anywhere after all, could just check into the hotel down the street if he wanted to.

"You look like you could use a double", the bartender said and placed a glass filled to the top in front of him. "It's on me, don't worry."

"Hn."

Sasuke nodded at him. He didn't feel like talking at all.

"My name's Suigetsu. You're Sasuke Uchiha, right?"

Shit. Another one of those people who'd seen him on TV or somewhere and wanted to get into his pants because of it. He shouldn't have come here after all.

"Yeah", he sighed.

"You know you come off like an asshole in public?"

"Excuse me?"

Now he had Sasuke's attention. Had he really just called him an asshole? That wasn't what people who were flirting with him usually did.

"Don't look at me like a horse just kicked you. You must have realized. You can't tell me no one has told you that before."  
Suigetsu chuckled.

"What the fuck do you want from me?", Sasuke hissed. He couldn't figure out what this was all about. What did that Suigetsu person want from him if it wasn't sex?

"I was just trying to make conversation. You look like you could use a talk."

"Thanks for your offer but I'd rather not."

He would have loved to vent a little, he would have loved to tell this stranger everything that was on his heart, but someone in his position really couldn't afford to open up to strangers. He was one of the youngest CEOs in the country, news like that would spread like wild fire. People were always only looking for weak points in him like they were expecting him to break down under the pressure of his life, but he wouldn't give them what they wanted. He'd learned to conceal his feelings from a young age because that was expected of them in public. The Uchihas were widely known for their remarkable indifference to everything. They could talk you down in any discussion and they never seemed to lose in anything.

Fugaku Uchiha had founded the company together with his uncle Madara and they'd manage to become one of the biggest businesses in the country in almost no time. The Uchihas were known for being extremely well organized and professional with each other albeit being a family. But that was what people didn't realize; they weren't like an ordinary family. Sasuke could barely remember his father telling him for once that he'd done well, left alone hug him or show affection in any other way. The only ones to ever emotionally connect with him were his mother when his father wasn't around and Itachi because somehow, he could afford it. He just did everything so well so effortlessly that Fugaku allowed him to show emotions while he'd always scold Sasuke for the same. They weren't expected to be affectionate, they were expected to know their place in society and function in it, as that place was right at the top. When he'd first gotten closer to Naruto, Fugaku's reaction had been nothing short of embarrassing. He'd demanded to know everything about the blond and had given them rules. The public wasn't supposed to know any of this, so much he'd made clear from the start. It wasn't even the fact that he was gay, but he wasn't supposed to be seen with anyone for it made him weak for threats against that person. They did receive threats occasionally and it was extremely inconvenient if those involved the people dear to them. His own life, Sasuke could take responsibility for. If someone were to kidnap him, it would only involve him alone. But he couldn't risk anyone threatening Naruto's life, so he'd always abided to Fugaku's rules. He'd thought it was for the best but maybe it hadn't been. It was one of the things that had added up to their points of conflict. Naruto was open and easy-going. It was hard for him to deny Sasuke in public. He was someone who'd rub their relationship in everyone's faces; not because of Sasuke's position but because he worshipped him as the person he was. Naruto had always loved him for how he just was.

The thought alone made him clench his fist around the glass.

"And you tell me you don't need to talk. As a bartender I can tell when people got issues. Those are the ones I can sell booze to all evening after all, you know", Suigetsu said with a smirk.

Really, who was this guy or rather who did he think he was? Instead of getting frustrated with him though, Sasuke had to give him a chuckle.

"You seem strange. What's your deal? You do realize you don't sell to people by giving away drinks for free?"

"Tsk, just start drinking already and you'll see. The first one is free but makes you want to have more and you end up paying me a good tip when you leave because I brightened your night."

The guy was quite self-conscious.

"Yeah, I highly doubt that", Sasuke said with a dismissive grin as he took a hit.

"Oh boy, you really need more of that, huh? You didn't even flinch. The first hit always burns, you know."

"Maybe it doesn't if you don't focus so much on the fact that you're drinking booze. I didn't come here to get myself hammered."

"What did you come here for then? It looks a lot like you're just looking to drink some pain away."

"What would you know about that kind of stuff?"  
Another full glass was placed in front of him after Suigetsu had taken the empty one away.

"As I said, I'm a bartender." The smirk on his face was irritating. "That makes my almost as qualified as a psychologist." Sasuke liked it.

He chuckled.

"No, it really doesn't."

Suigetsu was weird to say the least.

"My shift ends in an hour. You should come home with me."

"What the fuck? Are you digging on me?"

"You are a little full of yourself, aren't you? No, but there's no way I'm letting you drive wherever you wanted to drive after you got drunk here."

Since Sasuke had downed the second glass and was fumbling with his car key with his free hand, Suigetsu probably had a point there.

"It's fine. I wanted to go to the hotel anyway."

"No, you didn't."

"How dare you talk to me? Of course I did!"

"You don't look like someone who knows where to go. What happened? Did your sweetheart throw you out?"

Sasuke had him by his collar and pulled him close to him.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Heads were now turned at them, and when he realized he let go off the boy again in order to make it seem like nothing had happened. 'Young CEO beats up bartender after getting drunk as fuck.' He really couldn't afford such publicity.

"Seems like I hit a sore spot there, huh?"

Suigetsu straightened his collar, turned to serve other guests and then came back to Sasuke.

"Don't think I'm fucking you tonight. That's not what I came here for."

"You're so full of yourself, you don't even consider the possibility of someone just wanting to talk to you, huh? That's kinda sad if you ask me."

"Well, no one's asked you. You're really straining my patience, you know."

"Yeah, I've seen that. Let's not do that again, at least not in here. My boss could throw you out if he sees it. He really cares for his employees. I can't work if a guest smashes my face in after all."

The boy shrugged, then turned to wash the glasses without taking his attention off Sasuke. This night would surely be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So sorry it took me this long!  
This is so hard to edit as this was meant to be a oneshot but got out of hand.

* * *

A few glasses later, Sasuke tongue was much looser than he liked but he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. Suigetsu seemed like a nice guy after all. He supposed the world couldn't only ever be bad. He was sick and tired of always feeling paranoid.

Just because Sasuke couldn't understand it didn't mean it was impossible for Suigetsu to actually just be a nice guy looking to cheer a stranger up. Maybe, just this once, this wasn't about his social status but about him as a person.

It was hard for him to believe because he'd been brought up to believe no one ever wanted anything from him because of himself as a person but because of who he was to the public. It had taken Naruto long enough to get close to him.

At the thought of Naruto he downed another whiskey but this time Suigetsu didn't refill it.

"Don't you think that's enough?"

"Don't you think that's my problem?"

It came out harsher than he'd intended to.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be rude."

"Whoa, yeah, that really is enough. Good thing my shift's ending in five minutes." He made a brief pause as if he actually considered if he should ask again. But maybe he just did it for Sasuke to collect himself.

"So, you coming or what?"

"I wanna pay", he said in an answer to his question, because yes, he was coming. It was probably such a stupid thing to do, maybe Suigetsu would drug him and take naked pictures of him or something but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He needed a break so badly. Damn, he deserved one!  
His phone he'd turned off a few drinks ago when the constant buzzing had driven him crazy.

Of course, he tipped Suigetsu. He didn't give him too much, though. Throwing your money around doesn't keep you wealthy after all. He'd never been someone to waste his money on useless things.

"I can't help but wonder how my life would have been if I was someone else", he admitted while he left the club together with Suigetsu.

"That's silly. Of course, life would have been different if you weren't yourself. For example, if you were me you'd be a part time bartender now."

"What would I be during the day?"

"A student."

"Wait, how old are you?"

Unable to connect the dots he wondered if he was just leaving with a minor. Now, that would have people talking.

"Old enough to be selling booze in a bar. You worry way too much. Doesn't it make your head hurt?"

"It's not too bad once you're used to it."

"Tsk, I don't believe you. You look stressed as hell. That doesn't look like you ever really get used to it. I mean, you're tipsy and you still can't stop worrying about unimportant shit. You can't tell me that's not fucking exhausting."

Suigetsu came to a halt in front of a student dorm. Great, just great. There was no way no one would see him leave the place in the morning, but fuck it, Suigetsu was right. He needed the break, so he stopped listening to his head and followed him inside.

Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

"It's not too big, but at least I have my own bathroom and it's not as small as other dorms, so I guess it's alright. Although I figure it's not your usual standard."

"Bullshit! Stop treating me like I'm some spoilt rich kid."

"Are you not? From the media tells people that's exactly what you are."

"Well, they've got it wrong then."

He didn't let his temper get the better of him this time for he knew Suigetsu was testing him.

"I figured, judging by the sad look on your face when you walked into Crystal's tonight. Finally wanna tell me what happened?"

Something about the guy really made Sasuke want to trust him. He was too open and honest, he didn't seem like someone who was playing false games. He probably wasn't but Sasuke wasn't sure if he could take the chance. It wasn't a risk he should be taking but his heart was aching to bleed out all its pain.

"I think I just left my boyfriend."

"I see. Was it because of something he did?"

"No. Not really. It was something we both did. It just didn't work out, you know."

Speaking about it like that made him recall the past few weeks with all of their fights, and it only served to make him realize that leaving really was his best shot.

"I'm sorry. That why you came into the club? Were you looking for someone to go home with?"

"I don't know." Was he? "Maybe."

"You can call that one a success then, I guess", Suigetsu chuckled.

"So, you're gonna sell me out to some newspaper now?"

"Why would I?"

"That's all people ever do. Sell you out to the devil."

He would have hidden the bitterness in his voice but that didn't matter now anyhow.

"You're barely older than me, I can tell that from your looks, yet you sound as bitter as some men in their midlife crisis. Don't you think that's sad, too?"

Suigetsu's face had taken a serious look. In the light of his room he was a quite handsome guy as well. Sasuke hadn't really looked at him before.

He had platinum blond hair and his eyes were strangely dark in contrast. The hair was most likely dyed that way, yet it didn't look as broken as Sasuke had seen in others.

It was quite long for a guy, but so was Sasuke's.

"Are you a body modder?"

"What?"

"What? Your teeth, they're not normal."

"Ah, that. Yeah, I thought it was cool. I didn't quite think this through to be honest, they don't just grow back."

He had them sharpened. As far as Sasuke could tell all of his front teeth were sharpened to look like those of an animal. He thought it resembled the teeth of a shark. He only saw them whenever the guy grinned at him or opened his mouth rather wide while talking. Part of him wanted to know what those teeth felt like on his skin, but he figured that was mostly the alcohol talking.

"Don't undress me with your eyes. I don't care who you are, even you aren't entitled to give me such hungry looks without me calling you out on it."

"I- I wasn't-"

He was lying.

Suigetsu had to laugh at him.

"Look at you! I never would have thought someone like you was actually just human after all."

"Well, what did you think I was, then? Like, some android or something?"

His question had Suigetsu burst out in laughter.

"I can't believe we only meet now. Where have you been all this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. It's just- I've been alone, too, you know. I don't really know anyone here yet. I just thought it would have been nice if we'd met sooner. Don't mind me, it's silly. I'm sorry."

"No. No, it's not. It's actually quite nice. Have you worked at Crystal's for long?"

Suigetsu shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. A few months, maybe six."

Sasuke hadn't been there for at least half a year, so he figured they'd simply never had the opportunity to meet. They'd just missed each other.

"I went to Crystal's a lot when I was younger. It's kinda funny we never met."

"We probably did, but none of us knew. I came there as a guest sometimes before I started working there."

Sasuke tried to remember if he'd seen the guy before but he couldn't recall him.

"I would remember you, you are quite… different."

Words weren't coming easy to him anymore with his brain slowed by the whiskey.

"Yeah, thanks. You too", he said sarcastically.

"But I really think we would have made great friends. Probably more, you're kinda hot as well."

"Oh come on, you said you weren't gonna dig on me."

"I'm not if I'm just stating facts, am I?"

"Hn, you're a weird guy. So, where do you intend to sleep tonight?"

His mind was jumpy.

"What do you mean?"

"If I sleep in your bed, you need another place."

Suigetsu burst out in laughter again.

"You think you're getting my bed because you're a rich kid? Nuh-uh, you can have the floor if you're not okay with sharing."

"Sharing?"

"The bed. I don't mind you in my bed."

"Yeah, of course not. Who would?"

"You're hilarious! You know, I can see why some people think you're an asshole. You come off like one not only on TV but in real life as well."

"So, what if I'm just an asshole?"

"Nah, you have too much sorrow in your eyes for that. It makes me want to be there for you instead of get away. You got that sadness in you. That incredibly deep sadness that only people have who've seen too much of this life already. It just doesn't fit with your age, you know."

"What do you study anyway?"

"Biology. I could teach you a thing or two about the human body."

He raised his eyebrows suggestively and leaned close to Sasuke.

"You're so inappropriate!"  
The Uchiha shoved him away lightheartedly. He couldn't say he didn't enjoy the attention and Suigetsu's loose tongue.

"That's what they say, yeah. I kinda think that's what they hired me for in the first place. You see, making customers like me makes them return more often, and it makes them tip me generously. I can only afford this big place because you rich kids pay me so well."

He stuck out his tongue at Sasuke.

"You're getting that wrong. You got a pretty face is all."

"You think my face is pretty?"

"Well, yeah. You have a quite nice appearance."

Sasuke was clearly struggling for words in order to not make the conversation go in the wrong direction.

He wasn't oblivious to the air heating up between them. Albeit drunk, he could see Suigetsu's cheeks blush ever so slightly at the things he said. Signs of affection were apparent in his body language, and Sasuke was sure, he was giving them off as well. He knew his type and he knew he enjoyed the idea of him and Suigetsu getting it on later tonight. He couldn't help the way his body reacted to the attractive young man before him.

"So, I can't dig on you but you can dig on me, is that what you were trying to say?"

"Don't get full of yourself because I told you you're pretty. Good looks don't make up for a shitty character after all."

"But I know I don't have that. My personality's awesome."

"And you're calling me arrogant? Don't have too much sense of self-reflection, eh?"

"Go on then, tell me one good reason why we shouldn't get it on", Suigetsu dared him.

But Sasuke wasn't intending to do just that. Instead, he moved closer to Suigetsu, took his chin in hand and tilted his head up in order to kiss him.  
The kiss was nothing short of desperate and ended with tongues caressing each other as if they'd always belonged together.

Of course, they shared the bed that night. When Sasuke woke up in Suigetsu's bed the next morning, the boy was gone. Sasuke's head hurt a little, but it wasn't too bad. The events of last night flooded his mind – at least whatever he could remember – and he couldn't help but lift the blanket only to see that he was indeed naked.

"Fuck", he mumbled and got up way too fast for his head. He would have to take it easy if he didn't want to throw up on Suigetsu's floor.

This was bad, really bad.

He picked his clothes up off the floor and slowly crept into the small bathroom. He'd at least take a piss and make sure he looked decent before he left, never to return here ever again. He wasn't supposed to sleep his way through stranger's beds when technically, he hadn't even broken up with… Naruto! He hadn't even told him where he was. His heart was racing as he fumbled for the phone in the pocket of his jeans frantically.

He remembered turning it off. Shit, he should have just told Naruto where he was. Even though he still wanted to go through with his decision, he was sure Naruto had been shocked to return home and find that he was gone. Fight or not, they still cared about each other. Although he wasn't sure how much that still applied to him.

When his phone connected to the network again he saw the aftermath of last night; he had 11 missed calls and 56 messages, although some of them were from a group chat with a few people.

But then there were messages from Naruto, from Shikamaru, even from Sakura, asking where the fuck he was. Naruto had obviously called everyone they knew. He must have been worried sick.

"I'm okay. We need to talk." He hit send.

He wasn't going to text Naruto that he was moving out. He wasn't going to end this through a lousy text. Naruto didn't deserve that.

Barely seconds later his phone rang. It was Naruto. Fight or flight.

He picked up.

"What the fuck, Sasuke? Were the shit are you?"

"You're always way too vulgar."

They couldn't even exchange two sentences without getting back into a fight. Fuck, it was about time this ended.

"Sasuke, I was worried! When I came back home, you were gone! Some of your stuff, too! I tried to call you but you didn't pick up and suddenly, your phone was turned off. Couldn't you just tell me where the fuck you went?"

"No, Naruto. No, I couldn't tell you."

He tried his best to sound calm and he was doing quite well so far.

"Where are you? When are you coming back?"

"That's none of your concern. I'm not coming back, though."

The other end of the line remained silent except for the faint sound of breathing.

After a while Naruto seemed to have composed himself again.

"What?" There was a slight hitch in his voice.

"I'm not coming back, Naruto. I'm sorry. You can't tell me you don't see it that way. We're done for. Can't you see that we're constantly crossing new lines that were never meant to be crossed? That can't be it. That can't be how you want a relationship to be."

A shuddering breath was sucked in at the other end of the line.

"But-" Sasuke could tell he wanted to protest, but then he just stopped.

"I see."

The line went dead.

That was it. He'd said it and that was it. Yet, he didn't feel free. His headache reminded him of the mistakes of the last night and he pinched the bridge of his nose in agony. Only then he noticed the marker on his hand.

It was a cell phone number; most likely Suigetsu's. He wouldn't call him, yet he typed the number into his phone and saved it. Just in case.

When he'd finally washed his face and got back into his clothes, he decided it was only fair to tell the others that he was okay as well. They must have been worried as well thanks to Naruto calling them.

He wrote Shikamaru and Sakura almost identical texts telling them that he was out and his battery died. It was blatant lie, but he didn't want to tell them yet that he'd ended things with Naruto. He didn't even know why. He could tell them, they'd find it out sooner or later anyways.

When he pulled Suigetsu's door shut behind him, he felt bad for leaving another person for good in such a short amount of time. But that only lasted until he noticed two pairs of eyes on him. They didn't say anything but their glares spoke volumes; they obviously knew who he was and they obviously knew whose room he'd just left. He had no choice but to just get going. If the press was going to rip him apart, they'd do it anyway. And if he didn't give them a story, they'd just try to come up with one.

He pulled the hood of his sweater up in order to cover his messy hair that screamed of sex, and made his way out of the building.

When he left the complex, he hurried away from it without even really looking where he went. Thankfully, he'd chosen the right direction and soon found himself back at Crystal's, and therefore, at his car. Today was his day off, yet he decided to drive to his office. He'd take a shower there and straighten himself again.

He'd had the shower installed when he'd started working a lot overnight and needed to get into good shape for meetings in the morning nonetheless. It was simply a means of convenience when he did it. Probably another part of why his relationship failed.

When he almost stumbled in through the front door, he was greeted by the person he'd hoped not to see.

"Hey, little brother. Had a rough night out?"

"Can we please not do this?"

"Something wrong?"

"What gave it away? Was it the fact that I look like shit and don't want to talk about it? Well, thank god Sherlock Holmes came here to solve the case. "

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"No need to be so sarcastic." Itachi's voice was calm, of course. It always was.

"Naruto called me yesterday."

"Oh, did he?"

He continued his way to his office, knowing full well Itachi would just follow him, but he at least wanted to have this talk behind closed doors.

Itachi had picked up the hint and dropped the topic until they'd closed Sasuke's door behind them.

"As I was saying, Naruto called me because you weren't home. Some of your clothes were missing as well. I assume they're in there", he said and pointed to the bag Sasuke had carried with him.

"I further assume you're not going to disclose your location of yesterday to me."

"That's right. It's of no concern to you. Now, if you'd mind. I know it's my day off work, but I know for certain that you have a lot on your agenda. You should get back to your workplace, Mister Uchiha."

Itachi just shook his head.

"A bit full of yourself today, no? I guess I'll come back once you've cleaned yourself up. You reek of alcohol. You should also begin to come up with a proper explanation for that before our next conversation."

He didn't give Sasuke the opportunity to answer before he was out of the door again.

"Shitshitshit."

He knew Itachi was perceptive, but that last one had caught him off-guard.

He didn't want to deal with all this shit right now, so he practically fled to the shower in hopes of finally being able to have a few moments to himself.

He took his time under the hot water and tried to process the events of yesterday, but he'd rather not. Images of Suigetsu kept flooding his mind and had his cock hard in no time.

The boy was incredibly exciting, he had Sasuke's body react to him without even being there. It was a pity he had no recollection of the night whatsoever after they'd kissed. Part of him hoped they didn't have sex while part of him wanted to call the boy right away and order him here, so he could bend him over his desk.

A knock on his bathroom door cut off his thoughts abruptly.

"Just a moment", he called as he turned the water on cold for a moment before turning it off.

"I'll wait here."

It was Fugaku. What the hell was he doing here?

He was so eager to find out, he decided to hurry up a little more. His used clothes and the bag with his fresh clothes he just left in the bathroom. It was his own after all.

"What can I do for you, father?"

Sasuke gave the older man a respectful nod.

Fugaku held up his smart phone and presented a picture of a slim figure in a black hoodie to him.

"Is that you, Sasuke?"

He knew the answer, yet he looked closer. He hadn't noticed anyone with a camera around the student dorms, but the headline wasn't in his favor at all.

"'Uchiha heir secretly in a relationship with a student?' Sasuke, are you out of your small mind?"

Fugaku was clearly restraining himself, while his eyes spoke of the anger he held back.

"You can't just go out and do such things. This will keep our law department busy the whole day."

The elder sighed and then turned to leave.

"You should talk to your brother."

It was his way of saying that he was worried but he'd never be one to take care of the emotions of his sons himself. He'd never been the one to talk to, but Itachi was and Fugaku knew it.

He called Itachi's intern phone.

"Are you free?"

"Yes, I'll be there in a minute."

Itachi had always been there when he needed him. They were brothers after all.  
Sasuke googled the headline and opened the website so he could show it to his brother once he arrived. This was really bad. There was absolutely no sugarcoating it. They made it look like he was hooking up with someone much younger than him, although he was only 25 himself.

He also looked pretty deranged in that picture. His looks didn't leave much to imagination. He wished he hadn't had that much whiskey. Maybe his judgment would have been better if he'd been sober.

"Little brother, what can I do for you?"

Itachi's voice was calm. There was no way he didn't know already but he always made Sasuke tell him such things himself. He wasn't fond of Fugaku distorting their communication like he did.

"You've seen it already, haven't you?"  
He motioned for Itachi to sit down in the empty chair and then turned the screen so he could see the picture.

"Nice shot of you. Although it hides your cheekbones, which isn't a plus."

"I know, they're one of my better features."

"So, you're after the younger ones now, I perceive."

"He's not even that young. Why do you all think so badly of me? I'm only 25 after all, you all seem to be forgetting that recently."

"The media doesn't care. As long as you're the CEO of such a big company, they'll view you as an adult, whereas a student always seems like a young person. How old is he?"

"Older than 21."

"You haven't asked?"

"He works in a bar, he must be older than 21."

"He works in a bar? Oh, little brother, what are you getting yourself into?"

"Don't worry, I won't be seeing him again."

"So, Naruto and you are done for?"

There was a hint of pity in his voice as he changed the topic so abruptly.

Sasuke's gaze dropped to the floor before he looked back up.

"I guess. I mean, there's no future for us. Things won't work out that way."

"That's why you fled like you were being chased? Naruto was really out of it when he called me last night. You can't just go around and treat people like that, Sasuke. He has feelings, too."

"I know. Don't give me that. I didn't want to hurt him, I just- I needed to get away."

For some reason, it really helped talking to Itachi. After all, Sasuke could count on him being on his side. Itachi had always been supportive of him, no matter what. In hindsight, he could have just called him last night.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

The older Uchiha sighed. "Did you talk to him?"

"We spoke on the phone."

"You ended it over the phone? Oh, Sasuke, you can't do such things like that."

"He called and asked me to explain myself, what was I to say? I couldn't tell him to meet me later and keep it low until then. You know how he is. It's not like this is how I'd imagined it to be."

"So, where are you planning to go?"

"I don't know yet. A hotel? I don't think my old apartment's still available and I can't go back to Naruto's. I'll have to find a new place."

"You can stay at my place. The guest room's free. You know that all you had to do was ask."

He stated it instead of asking, because it was a fact. Sasuke knew full well he could have just called, but he didn't. He hadn't been ready to admit his defeat, but now there was no way he could still deny it. His life was a wreck and staying at Itachi's wasn't so bad after all. He had a comfortable guest room, his apartment was big enough for two people and it wasn't far from the office, which was a plus for people who spent a lot of time at work. Like that, he could just stay late into the night and then didn't have a long drive. Driving while tired was the worst. It was more of a miracle he'd never had an accident, because he sure drove like a madman when he was tired. Once he even fell asleep for a few seconds and ended up driving on the pavement for a few seconds. It was pure luck there hadn't been anyone there and he'd noticed before crashing into the next street light. The press would have loved to see him get into an accident like that. Of that, he was certain. They could make great stories about such things; maybe he was an alcoholic and drove intoxicated, maybe Uchiha corp. was wearing him down so much. He could see the headline already, "Young Uchiha falls asleep behind the wheel – is there too much pressure on his shoulders?"

Oh, how they would have loved a story like that. He wouldn't give it to them.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it, Itachi."

"I need to go back to work now, little brother. But you know that you can always come to me."

A simple gesture like his hand on Sasuke's shoulder was all it took for them. There was love between them. Itachi had always mastered the art of being a rational person albeit being affectionate. He was, by all means, perfect. But not even the kind you'd hate out of jealousy.

The rest of the day went by without any further occurrences. Much to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto actually left him alone. It hurt his pride a little, but he figured it was better than having to deal with the emotional crap. He couldn't allow himself to get emotional after all. He had an important meeting with the CEO of a potential new partner business the next day and he needed to be focused for that. He used the fact that he was in the office anyway to prepare the meeting already and get rid of some of the work that kept piling up on his desk. In movies they always make it look like you don't have much work anymore as the CEO because you have people doing everything for you. It turned out that's not quite the case, Sasuke always had a shit ton of work to do.

He was only 25 but it felt like this was all he'd ever do in his life. After all, there wasn't much more to reach. He was the CEO of a big company, there were no aspirations higher than that, that you could really have. You could say he'd reached everything in his life. Although it gave him a great sense of security, it also made everything he did feel extremely dull. Knowing that things probably wouldn't change until he chose to retire was extremely… unsatisfying. His life with Naruto could have led him to do funny things in his spare time, but without the blond he was nothing more than a machine that was expected to function. His father expected nothing less of him than that he got the deal. It was indeed too much pressure sometimes. He needed to get out sometimes, but his schedule wouldn't let him. His schedule… It was part of why things hadn't worked out with Naruto. Had he had more time, things wouldn't have gotten this bad. He was just always so fucking stressed. He had to admit that he'd let that out on Naruto. He felt sorry for it now, but it wasn't something he could still change. Things had been said that should have never been said; things were damaged beyond repair. You can't crumble up a paper and then straighten it out to look perfect again. There was no way he could make things alright again.

Thinking about Naruto made him lose all focus. It was gruesome to say the least. He wanted his life back, he wanted Naruto, but damn, he couldn't have him. They'd said such horrible things to each other and they couldn't be unsaid. Sasuke rolled up his sleeve to look at a rather big bruise that had started to form on his arm.

They'd even crossed that line, there was no way things could ever go back to the way they were.

He would have cried, but he couldn't. He'd wanted this all to go differently, that was never what he'd wanted for his life.

When he'd first met Naruto, he'd never even considered getting into a relationship because of his career and the high goals he had, but now he missed the feeling that he could come back home to someone in the evening.

When he'd first met the blond, he'd been even more of a coldhearted bastard than he was now. Of course, his position required a certain sense of emotional distance, but he'd distanced himself from his emotions in general so much that Naruto more than just once had to remind him that he was still human, because sometimes, he just forgot. He fired people on a daily basis without his heart stepping in when they had children waiting at home or things like that. Looking at it now, he was shocked at himself for the things he'd done in the past. And most of all, he was shocked at himself for the things he'd done to Naruto.

The urge to call him became so overwhelming, he had to move his chair back from his desk in order to curl up on himself for a moment. He knew what his father would say if he could see him like that. In such an emotional state, Sasuke was nothing more than a disgrace to the name of the Uchiha. A disgrace - Fugaku had told him that more often than he should have. If Itachi weren't the only anchor in his life, he'd probably hate him to the guts. The both of them had always been compared and not once had Sasuke exceeded Itachi in anything. To Fugaku, Itachi had always been the perfect heir when Sasuke was nothing more but a failed attempt at giving his older son some concurrence.

When Itachi had refused his offer to become the new CEO of Uchiha corp., Fugaku had had no choice but to offer the position to Sasuke. That was all he'd ever been – a second choice.

He couldn't bring himself to hurt over that fact anymore. He'd stopped hurting over it long ago. His family had never been a loving one, they'd always just been raised to become good business men, cruel and heartless. It was expected of them to make choices without consulting their hearts about them.

"Feeling's ruin your choices", Fugaku had always told them, so he'd naturally hated Naruto from their first meeting. He'd always been sure the young blond would ruin his son completely, not that he'd ever really thought there was hope for Sasuke to turn out like Itachi anyway.

It didn't hurt anymore. But having lost Naruto certainly still did. Fuck, he'd messed up big time. He shouldn't have left. No, he shouldn't have crossed all those lines. He shouldn't have become CEO in the first place. In that moment, he realized for the first time that maybe the job just wasn't for him. Maybe he didn't want to be an Uchiha anymore and just wanted to have a life. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy after all. He didn't want to become dull, and he most certainly didn't want to become as bitter as his father. Fugaku made a poor sight for anyone who dared to look closer; he was bitter in all the ways. He'd seen it all, certainly, but it had turned him into a cold and ruthless leader. He didn't even flinch as stock markets crashed and people's lives were ruined. He didn't even step back of ruining the lives of his own children for his sole goal of becoming successful. But Sasuke just couldn't begin to see what it was he got out of it, because there was no life he had next to his business that he could still enjoy. There was his wife, Sasuke's mother, waiting for him at home, but Sasuke had hardly ever seen them engage with each other in a way that spoke of even a trace of love. He wondered how his mother did it, but that thought brought him back to Naruto. Was that how it had been for him? Of course, Sasuke was nothing compared to Fugaku, but he figured it had been hard for the blond nonetheless. Naruto obviously needed someone to be there for him, and that, Sasuke never was. Well, he was at the beginning when he'd still tried to impress the blond but some day he'd just stopped. Why the fuck had he stopped putting all of his energy in impressing Naruto? Damn, the blond deserved someone who fought for his attention. Naruto derserved someone who tried to impress him each day anew.

Itachi didn't comment on the poor sight he posed as he entered the room again.

"I fucked up", Sasuke whispered.

"Yes, you did."

Itachi wasn't one to sugarcoat things. He was a loving brother, but he was also a very honest person. There was no reason for him to lie about this. Usually, he would have scolded the younger for his choice of words, Sasuke knew that, but he refrained from doing it this time.

"I shouldn't have let things get this bad, Itachi."

Sasuke barely got the words out before his breathing hitched. He had to stop himself because crying wasn't an option.

"Don't work yourself up over it too much. If there's a way to make things right again, do it. If there isn't one, then move on. It's all you can do."

Itachi was right, but his words hurt. Sasuke couldn't even give him a proper answer.  
When he felt Itachis arms wrap around him, he wanted yet again to cry out all his agony but he decided against it. They'd learned to keep their pain to themselves at all times. "Showing pain makes you weak." Fugaku's words were ringing in his ears as he proceeded to lean against Itachi for support. He couldn't help it but he enjoyed not being alone. He really appreciated his brother being there for him, no matter what was expected of them.

"Everyone gets weak sometimes, Sasuke", Itachi told him as if he could read his thoughts. He probably could because he always seemed to find the exact right words anyway.

Fuck, how could he be so perfect?

"Do you?", was all he could get out before his voice betrayed him.

"Yes, even I get weak sometimes." He placed his forehead against Sasuke's in such an intimate way, it made the younger Uchiha shiver.

"You've had a rough day. Let's get you home."


End file.
